For Unto You This Day is Born
by MaverickLover2
Summary: A Maverick one-shot story about the day Bart Maverick's first son was born.


For Unto You This Day is Born

For now everything was peaceful and quiet; unlike the way it had been just a few short minutes ago. The only sounds were those of the mother's soft breathing and the son's gentle snoring. Beauregard Julian Maverick lay in his mother's arms, worn out from his struggle to be born. Doralice Evangeline Maverick held her newborn son close to her as she dozed, worn out from the struggle to give birth. Slowly the door to the bedroom opened, and the new father beamed with pride at the sight of his wife and baby boy. "Can I come in?" he asked the doctor that had just delivered the next generation of Mavericks. Simon Petry smiled and nodded as he sank into the chair that sat next to the bed.

"Come on in, Daddy. But I'm afraid they're both asleep right now."

Bart shook his head. "I don't care. Asleep is fine. Aren't they the most beautiful creatures you've ever seen?" Bart moved into the room, closer to the sleeping duo, and closed the door behind him. Doralice had been right all along; she'd insisted she was carrying a boy and intended to present her husband with his first son. "How are they?"

Simon broke into a big smile. "Strong and healthy. You've nothing to worry about. And that little boy has got a set of lungs on him. Knowing your father like I do, I think Beauregard is the right name for him."

"When can I hold him?"

"Whenever you want to."

"Now?" was the immediate question. "Is that alright?"

"You bet," Simon responded, and reached across the bed to gently remove Beauregard from his mother's arms. Bart sat in the chair next to the bed and Simon placed the small, sleeping bundle in his father's arms. The baby wiggled his nose slightly and sighed, and his father held him close and gazed at his son, enraptured. He seemed so little, yet bigger than either of the twins when they were born. He had a full head of dark brown hair, and when he eventually opened his eyes, they were almost as black as Brother Bret's.

"Hello, little man," his father whispered softly to him. "Welcome home." Bart kissed the baby's forehead tenderly and talked to his boy. "Momma will be so proud. She knew you were a boy all along. And your grandpa will be thrilled that he's got himself a grandson. You have two sisters, Maude and Isabelle, and they'll be excited that you're finally here. I'm excited too, you know. I can't wait for you to walk and talk. There's so much I want to teach you; so many things you'll need to learn. I want you to know just how much I love you . . . you and your sisters are the most important things in my life. I'll protect you, and defend you against anyone that tries to hurt you . . . I love you, Beauregard, and I will until my dying breath."

Doralice stirred in the bed and opened her eyes as a faint smile creased her lips. "Givin' him orders already?" she murmured as she reached for her newborn son. At the sound of his mother's voice, the brand new Maverick wiggled and squirmed in his father's arms. He was hungry and his mother knew it; as soon as he was positioned properly, breakfast was served. "Sorry, handsome, you can't do this."

"He's beautiful, darlin'. You do good work."

"We do good work. I told you it was a boy."

"Yes, you did." Bart leaned down and kissed his wife. "I'm goin' to tell the girls. You get some rest."

"I will, as soon as he's finished."

"How are they? It is a boy, isn't it? Is he beautiful?" Maude assailed her son-in-law with questions immediately as he emerged from the bedroom.

"They're fine, it's a boy, and yes, he's beautiful. Go on in there and throw Simon out. Are the girls awake yet?"

Maude shook her head. "Not yet. I let 'em sleep." She reached up and kissed Bart on the cheek. "Thank you for the grandson."

Bart grinned. "My pleasure." He headed for the twins' bedroom. Maria Elena, the Maverick housekeeper, smiled at him from the kitchen.

"Coffee is ready, Señor Bart."

"Thanks, Maria. I'll have some in a minute." He needn't have worried about waking his daughters up, both were already out of bed and giggling as they got dressed.

"Poppy. Is baby brudder here yet?" Maudie asked anxiously as Bart finished buttoning her dress.

"He is, buttercup. As soon as you both have breakfast we can go see him. How's that sound?"

The youngest of the twins, Belle, giggled furiously and threw herself into her father's arms. "Daddy, is Beauregard?"

Her father almost laughed out loud, but he knew exactly what she meant. "Yes, Belle, it's Beauregard. And he can't wait to meet his big sisters. Are we ready, ladies?"

Both nodded solemnly and each grabbed one of their father's hands, leading him back into the kitchen. They deposited themselves at the table and waited for Maria Elena to serve breakfast. Bart poured a cup of coffee and was about to sit down when a loud wail could be heard through the whole house. Belle and Maudie scrambled down from their chairs and ran to their mother's room before Bart could stop them. By the time he reached the bedroom the girls were lying in bed alongside their mother, watching their brand new brother finish his breakfast.

"He loud," Maudie declared.

"But pretty," Belle added.

"Girls, eggs are ready," Maria Elena called from the kitchen.

"Let's go have breakfast," Grandma Maude suggested, as she took each girl by the hand and led them back to their chairs.

Bart sighed and watched his wife. "The end of peace as we know it?"

Doralice chuckled softly. "I'm afraid so."

Simon had finished putting his equipment back together and headed for the door. "Get some rest, Doralice. I'll be back tonight to check on the two of you."

"Simon, anything special we need to do?" The new father asked as he walked the doctor out.

"Make sure your wife stays in bed for a couple days. That wasn't an easy birth, and I want to be certain she gets some rest before she starts in being a full-time Mom to three. And keep your fingers crossed. With that set of lungs on him, I hope he doesn't get colicky on you."

"Are you gonna send me a bill this time, Doctor Petry?" Bart asked, expecting the same answer he always got.

"Nope. I never know when I'll need you to kill somebody for me." He reached out and grabbed Bart's hand, pumping it up and down at a furious pace. "They're beautiful children, Bart. You're a lucky man."

"Thanks, Simon. I think I am, too."

Bart found his way back into the bedroom and sat at his wife's bedside until she fell asleep again, then he picked up his brand new son and carried the baby out to the kitchen. "Maria Elena, I brought someone to introduce them. Beauregard Julian Maverick. Handsome lad, ain't he?"

"Si, Señor, he is muy hermoso. You and the Señora, you make hermosos bebés."

"We do, don't we? I guess I better take him back to his momma before he figures out that's not me." As if on cue, Beauregard opened his eyes and stared right at his father, before bursting into tears. "I know, I'd cry too if I expected to wake up lookin' at momma and I woke up lookin' at me instead. Just be glad your grandpa ain't here right now, that'd really scare you to death."

"Bring me my baby!" Doralice called from the bedroom.

"I'm on my way, blue-eyes," Bart replied. He bent his head and kissed his brand new baby boy again. "You're a lucky little Maverick, you know that?"

"Were you giving him a tour of the house?" Doralice asked.

"You think we could have some more of these?" Bart wondered as he returned Beauregard to his mother's waiting arms.

"As long as you don't want them right now," the worn-out mother promised.

"Oh, no. I can wait a while."

"Good. Now go back to the saloon and tell everybody so I can get some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

And that's just where Bart headed. As he walked down the boardwalk, he couldn't help but think _, 'I_ _really am lucky. I've come a long way since Montana.'_ And with that he smiled, and hurried to tell everyone about his brand new son.

The End


End file.
